The Cycle Touring Diaries - Diary 3: The L.A. Loop

By Bradley Howard

In 2013, Bradley Howard set off on a three month journey, which ran roughly 3000 miles across the United States of America. He visited 4 States and 'no-trace' camped 75 times. What is more, Brad dodged many venemous spiders and snakes on his way too.
Whilst on the tour, he visited many amazing places, including The Grand Canyon, Yosemite National Park, 'Sin City'; Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Death Valley, California. He encountered legendary roads such as the Coastal Highway 1 and Route 66, mega bridges such as The Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, and much more besides.
Through his trip, Bradley kept a journal, which he has now turned into this book, to share his knowledge and adventures with others.
He writes of his reflections on profound insights that came from his adventure, how he managed to live on a budget whilst being on the road, and how he kept himself fuelled whilst he still maintained his Vegan diet.
Along the way, Bradley worked hard to tread in harmony with the environment.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Dec 26, 2013
• ISBN: 9781291682571

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The Cycle Touring Diaries - Diary 3: The L.A. Loop

The Cycle Touring Diaries - Diary 3: The L.A. Loop

by Bradley Howard

Cover by Bradley Howard

Written & edited by Bradley Howard

Published in 2014 by Bradley Howard

Copyright

This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted under applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author's and publisher's rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

Copyright © Bradley Howard 2014

Cover © Bradley Howard 2014

Photographs © Bradley Howard 2014

This ebook is sold subject to the condition that it shall not by the way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher's prior consent in any form other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

ISBN: 978-1-291-68257-1

Version 1.0

Dedication

For my Mum and Dad, (for the life and beauty that they have given to me), my sisters (for the great arguments that we have), and another major pillar in my life - John 'durum' Offord, for whom I have the utmost respect for the way he has managed to put up with me all these years.

About the author

Bradley Howard is a thirty something male, who after gaining a degree in Economics at University, began on a path towards a financial career. He quickly realised that his truth self and worth lay elsewhere however, in an artistic setting.

After having embarked on musical projects in his time, (which resulted in the production of albums and music videos), he also began to establish himself as a photographer, and he now has a rich and extensive portfolio.

He began to realise that he had a real love of the outdoors and for adventure. After climbing to the top of Mount Snowdon, Wales, U.K. in 2010, he then climbed the Carn Mor Dearg Arete to the summit of Mount Ben Nevis in Scotland, in 2011.

In 2008, Brad became a Vegetarian after a powerful moment gazing out on a field of sheep whilst on a train. He later became a Vegan in 2011.

Bradley was all the while envisioning a world of peace for all, and was now looking to combine all his ideologies, talents and interests to create one.

He now looked to the pursuit of knowledge and travel, to further propel himself and the world forward to Utopia.

As he was on a budget, he found that cycle touring was now the way to go, and this became a major pursuit and love of his.

In 2012, he completed a popular cycle from Land's End to John O'Groats, and then after a 3000 mile cycle tour around Europe, in 2013, he accomplished another grand tour round west U.S.A.

In 2013, Bradley completed work on a set of books entitled 'The Cycle Touring Diaries', and is currently planning more adventures, cycle tours, books, photographic work and other art projects.

Other books by Bradley Howard

- The Cycle Touring Diaries - Book 1: Land's End to John O' Groats by Bradley Howard.

In 2012, Bradley Howard set off on a journey which lasted almost a month, which ran roughly 1,000 miles from the western most tip of the south of the U.K. - Land's End, to the most northerly settlement of it - John O' Groats. The distance between these two settlements, is the longest distance between two inhabited points in the U.K.

During his cycle, Bradley visited County after County, and he 'no-trace' camped every night of it.

As if that wasn't enough, he took on many National Parks such as Dartmoor, the Peak District, The Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales, and The Cairngorms.

Whilst on the tour, he visited many amazing places including colossal cathedrals such as Lichfield Cathedral, captivating castles which included Edinburgh Castle, and big bridges including the Forth Road Bridge, and much more besides.

- The Cycle Touring Diaries - Book 2: The European Extravaganza by Bradley Howard.

In 2012, Bradley Howard set off on a three month journey which ran roughly 3000 miles across Europe.

During his cycle, Bradley visited 9 Countries and 'no-trace' camped 64 times.

As if that wasn't enough, he took on the Swiss Alps on the way, which tested him to his limits.

Whilst on tour, Brad visited many amazing places, including National Parks such as Hohe Tauern, insanely high dams such as the Grande Dixence, and Fairytale Castles such as Neuschwanstein.

Acknowledgments

There are many people who I would like to thank for having had a positive influence on my life, but here I'll just list the ones that are most relevant to this book.

I must a pay thanks to others who have shown great courage, and risen up to accomplish the unthinkable in a troublesome World. Among these inspirations are Mark Beaumont and Mark Hall, (who both cycled the World), Arnold Schwarzenegger, (the bodybuilder etc.), Rosie Swale Pope, (who ran the World), 'The Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know' Ranulph Fiennes, Chris Bonnington, Goran Kropp, Reinhold Messner, (who are all adventurers, climbers etc.), Ellen MacArthur, (the sailor etc.) and Martin Strel, (who swum the Amazon River)

I now mention those who have helped me establish a fondness for the outdoors, and who have taught me the art of survival, which include Ray Mears and Bear Grylls, (both television celebrities).

I must also thank Mother Nature, who has created the magical Wonderland in which I live.

The Cycle Touring Diaries - Diary 3: The L.A. Loop

by Bradley Howard

Cover by Bradley Howard

Written & edited by Bradley Howard

Published in 2014 by Bradley Howard

Route of the Tour

Chapter A: Leatherhead, Surrey, U.K. to Moreno Valley, California, U.S.A.

26/03/2013.

It was very cold last night, and infact, it was below freezing. I awake to see ground frost outside. Still, I feel positive and energized what with the chips and ale supper that I had last night, and the fact that today is the start of my tour.

After some last minute packing, I set off for Heathrow Airport, London at about noon. The bike feels as if it is ridiculously heavy, and it is handling as if it was a Zeppelin airship. Also the tyres of it are squidging about from not having been pumped up properly after I changed them, and there’s a fair 'headwind' (- a wind that is blowing against someone or something as they move forward, as opposed to a 'tailwind' which is a wind that blows in the same direction). It’s still cold, and so I've got on a fleece, a thermal top, a jacket and leggings; (pretty much) my full bike outfit. I am wearing (socks and) sandals too, as I find that my feet are warm enough with these on.

At Oxshott, I stop and fill my tyres with air, after having selected the maximum pressure level on a petrol station's pump - 4.1 bar, which is much less than the 5 bar that they can handle. I then have hummus (which is a Middle-Eastern and Arabic food dip), spinach, bread and an apple, as I note that it’s fairly up-market around here.

I then pass through Esher, and then a while on from there I get to Hampton Court Palace. Hampton Court Palace is a Royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, but it has not been inhabited by the British Royal Family since the 18th century.

I continue on, and I eventually see massive planes about me which signal to me that I'm near to my goal. A wide smile lights up my face, as I realise I'll soon be on one. I then skirt Heathrow Airport as I head towards Terminal 3. Upon getting to the terminal, I'm suddenly aware of the very high security that this place has got, as I see many armed police and police cars about. Once I get to the Virgin Atlantic (who I will be flying with) departures area, I'm immediately approached by a security guy. He asks me what I'm doing here, and then he tells me to come back at about four hours before my flight, which is a pain as I was hoping that I could stay here till I leave in about 21 hour’s time.

I then grow worried over where I will sleep tonight, as this place seems off limits. I begin to relax though when another security guard says that I can spend some time at 'Arrivals', which is very close and part of Terminal 3. After getting there, I take up a seat and watch vast numbers of people bustling by me, with many of them pushing trolleys full of baggage. I then see a charging point with a company 'Statoil' marked on the side, but I quickly give up on the idea of using it to charge my tablet while I write up my diary, as there are no seats by it which seems bizarre.

I shudder now at the realisation of how long I have to wait for my flight, and I think that I shouldn't have come here this early. (Originally I had decided to come to the Airport a fair time before my flight, as I had felt that I would then have much less chance of missing my flight. I thought the setting would provide enough entertainment for me to pass the hours here. Airports are quite interesting places to be at I feel, which is presumably why a film was made in 2004 called - 'The Terminal', which was directed by Steven Spielberg and starred Tom Hanks.

I then get out a book entitled - 'Do polar bears get lonely', (which is a book that was a spinoff of the 'New Scientist' magazine), that answers bizarre questions such as that one. For that particular question though, I already know that the answer to it is - yes! I know this as I now feel a bit like how a polar bear must feel, given that it is so cold in here and I feel a bit lonely surrounded by the crowds of people about me. I then do my diary journal to date.

Eventually, at about 9.30 I head to the lavatory, and when I get there I have to push my bike inside it, as the airport rule's that I can't leave it unattended. Still it’s not too big of an issue, as there is no door to the lavatory and the entrance to it is very wide. I take the time to brush my teeth whilst in there too.

Back at the seating area, I check-in online with Virgin Atlantic, which I have to due at least 13 hours prior to departure so as to retain my pre-selected window seat.

I'm beginning to feel tired and weary now, what with all the people watching that I been doing and the fact that it’s getting quite late, so I just lie down on the couch that I'm on. At this point, there are only a few others within the lounge, with include some Chinese hooded guys who look like they haven’t slept in a week.

Yuck! It’s now as if the smell of the whole of the airport's waste, is being ported into my face. I then grow colder and colder and more uncomfortable, and so I get into my sleeping bag and I straddle myself between the arms of the long set of seats that I'm on. I then dose till about 6 am.

27/03/2013.

The airport now jumps back into life again, which is slightly upsetting as I feel a bit groggy from a lack of sleep. Still, my spirits are then lifted, when I realise that I now only have 5 hours till I can 'drop' my bags with my airline. I now become of the opinion, that people watching here becomes a little bland after a while. I'm seeing some stirring sights though, including one of a white-bearded and wool cardigan wearing chap, who is carrying a bizarrely-shaped and large musical instrument on his back.

At about 10 am, I'm startled by the sight of a gun carrying policeman standing in front of me. He then greets me, and then after another couple of his team join him, they ask me questions about why I am here. I show them my flight documents, and then after one warns me to be careful camping where I'm going (as 'there are snakes out there'), they move on. I felt really awkward now, as they have made a spectacle out of me, although I realise they were only doing their job.

I now get a bean salad from a 'Marks and Spencer' nearby, which is good wholesome food that is Vegan-friendly. As a Vegan, I eat no animal products what so ever, (as opposed to a Vegetarian diet which allows some of them, (such as milk and eggs), to be consumed. Beans feature very often in my diet as they are a good source of protein. As I nip in to the store, I leave my bike outside it where I can see it through its glass front.

I now get to the 'Virgin' departures building at about 12, and I start the rather laborious process of repacking my four cycle pannier bags and their contents into a 140-litre holdall. My pannier bags hold 23 litres and are 100-percent waterproof bags, which hold my luggage and clip onto my bike racks. I do this, so as that I only have to pay to take one bag on my flight, and not four. At one point, I get moved by a security guard, which is fair as I'm not at an official repacking area. The reason why I'm not at one of those areas, is because they are quite a way from a set of scales here, which I need to make sure my holdall doesn't weigh more than 23kg, otherwise I will have to pay extra in baggage fees. I at one point thereafter, leave my luggage to get a trolley, and when I get back to it, I'm ticked off again and told not to leave it unattended anymore.

I then set my bike up for the flight according to my airline's rules, which includes lowering its seat, removing its pedals, and skewing the handlebar of it to line up with the frame. (Virgin Atlantic (at the time of writing this book) has a policy whereby they will take a passenger's bike for free, as long as it’s packed in a box or bag in the afore-mentioned way. You are also supposed to deflate the tyres partially too also, although I've read that there is hardly any risk of a tyre inner tube rupturing during flight if you don't do this).

Then, after a rather tricky time spend trying to get my bike into a see-through and tough Plastic bag, I wrap gaffer tape around it all. (I'm using a bike bag (as opposed to a bike box) as it only cost about ten U.K. pounds to buy it from a company called 'Wiggle', and I won't have to pay storage charges for it when I get to the U.S.A. It was also easy to carry it on my bike when I was getting to the airport.

I then feel just ever so ruffled when I get to a 'Bag Drop' desk, where I'm then given a boarding card after having presented my passport. I then off-load my holdall, and then I carry my bike, (after a tag (that displays the details of my flight) has been pinned to it), to a desk nearby where I load it onto a trolley.

I then go up an escalator and into a security area, where my back pack; 'hold luggage' is then scanned, and then emptied and checked. After all this has passed, I suddenly panic, as I see on a monitor that my flight is 'closing'! I race towards the gate, which is a way away, worrying that I won't get to it 30 minutes prior to the flight, as if I don't, I won't be allowed to board the plane. I begin to run, and I become very fearful that I will miss the flight.

I get to the boarding desk just in time with only 5 minutes to spare, and I breathe a massive sigh of relief, as my holiday had so nearly ended before it had begun.

The plane is delayed taking off quite a long time, and one of the reasons for this is that there are problems getting a pilot's McLaren- made 'F1' sports car on board, which the Captain informs us about. While I wait, I'm treated to some fast-paced on board music, which includes the song - '(Do the) Mashed Potatoes' by James Brown. The trouble is, is that the same set of songs is then played over and over.

Still, as the A340 that I'm on hurtles eastwards down the runway, my mood quickly picks up. Soon I'm breathing a sigh of relief, as the takeoff sequence is now complete, which is I think is a part of a flight where things can go most wrong. Soon thereafter, I'm in bliss, as I sip a scotch and coke. The grey skies are now all gone, and I now see blue sky as I fly above the cloud line.

A tension headache that I had is now gone, and I am now presented with a Vegan meal. At this point, I don't know whether Virgin Atlantic is making a statement that it is ethical (by serving Vegan and Vegetarian dinners first), but I'd like to think so. I have a vegetable curry, bread and (Vegan-friendly 'Bebo') butter, and then a fruit salad, and it’s all flipping good.

Afterwards I listen to the song - 'Highway to Hell' by ACDC, and I find myself digging the relevant line in it - 'I'm on the way to the promise land!'. I'm now in the mood for a third cocktail, but I'm quickly brought to earth when the tea trolley (as opposed to the bar one) now appears, and I inwardly sigh, 'That's the party over!'.

I let the sun flood in through the window next to me, (which it does as I'm on the left hand side of the plane), and I find myself having to almost constantly stare out at it, as what I can see as I do this is a most wondrous and magical sight. I find it strange, that so many others have put a blind down over the window next to them. I next use a controller (linked to my seat) to bring up details about my flight on a monitor built into the seat in front of me, and I see that the frozen white wilderness below that I can see out of the window is in fact Greenland. I realise evermore how amazing the modern World is, given that it is enabling me to be alive and comfortable just a short distance